describing

verb

present participle of describe
1
as in depicting
to give a representation or account of in words he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in telling
to give an oral or written account of in some detail a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in characterizing
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of describing Paxton has contrasted himself and Talarico from the campaign trail — describing the Democrat as radical — and touts his work as attorney general, including battling big government and big corporations. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026 Trump opened his remarks there by describing how the new jet parked behind him was a gift from the Qatari royal family. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026 Critics mocked Zacharia’s performance during her first and last press conference on Tuesday, and ripped her for describing herself as an attorney, despite having never passed the bar exam. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026 Yet some community members have attended meetings in support of Valdez, describing him as the only trustee responsive to their concerns. — Sophia Veneziano, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 According to the report, one of the nightclub's owners attempted to physically restrain Lindo and pleaded with him to drop the weapon, describing Lindo as acting focused on his target. — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Busfield has repeatedly denied the allegations, describing them as lies motivated by revenge. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Both assistants provided similar information, including a short paragraph describing each resort, its rating, and a link to book a stay. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026 Feigenbaum offered a more cautious interpretation, describing some of the violent perpetrators as fringe provocateurs who exploit broader demonstrations without necessarily directing them. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describing
  1. depicting
  2. telling
  3. characterizing
  4. portraying
  5. recounting
  6. defining
  7. rendering
  8. relating
Verb
  • The movement earned the name after protesters used signs depicting the pink bird.
    — Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In Egypt, an underwater excavation in Alexandria uncovered a bronze ring depicting the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, while prehistoric rock art in Sinai reveals thousands of years of human activity.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of depicting
Verb
  • The ad also accuses his Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, of telling lies about him.
    — Lara Korte The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Our weak college presidents have avoided telling the truth for too long.
    — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of telling
Verb
  • Blumenkranz rebuffed those claims, characterizing the current depth of collectors being a mix of longtime collectors who have supported FOG for years alongside a newer generation of collectors, some of whom have made their wealth in tech.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Wilkinson countered that what was at issue was that the network has to go through the early renewal process at all, characterizing it as an act of retaliation that is ripe for district court review.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of characterizing
Verb
  • In fact, the Academy Award–winner made a name for herself by portraying women who worked their way up in the world, which proved a winning archetype among Depression-era American audiences.
    — Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Actors portraying Rama and Sita are shown living in exile in a lush green forest.
    — Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of portraying
Verb
  • Without recounting every amusing or harrowing detail, a good deal of interactive psychological grilling ensued.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • At the outset of Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Kaplan acknowledged the keen interest in LIV’s Chapter 11 case, recounting how he had been bombarded over the weekend at his golf club about what would happen next.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of recounting
Verb
  • Medicare Advantage plans shift costs to enrollees A defining feature of Florida’s Medicare Advantage market is the prevalence of plans charging no monthly premium beyond the beneficiary’s required Part B expense.
    — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • From Europe, Dries Van Noten’s poster prints are a definitive collector’s item, the skirts at Prada are zeitgeist-defining, and Saint Laurent’s gold pieces are instantly iconic.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of defining
Verb
  • First responders arrived on site to find community members rendering medical aid to those who were injured, Moses said.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Path tracing is an advanced form of ray tracing that's among the most demanding graphics-rendering techniques today, often requiring upscaling and frame generation to achieve a playable frame rate.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of rendering
Verb
  • Conflict with Indigenous peoples on the Maine frontier had sent traumatized refugees into the region, relating horror stories of attacks on their homes.
    — Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Vollmann was also pessimistic, relating that feeling comes from more than America’s current political issues, but also from the world’s environmental problems.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of relating

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Cite this Entry

“Describing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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